Rims &#39;n&#39; Rocks

ABSTRACT

The invention is a mechanism and/or method by which objects can be studded with gemstone/gemstone imitations and where the stones are not set from the top of the object as has traditionally been the case in jewelry etc., but rather from the back allowing for both a cleaner finish, and also a system where the stones are removable, and therefore, easily interchangeable.

The name of the invention is Rims ‘n’ Rocks. The applicant/inventor's name is Ashwini Prasad, of U.S. citizenship and U.S. residence. Rims ‘n’ Rocks is the collective title of a threaded case and house (male and female) mechanism for studding any item with gemstone or gemstone imitations. The invention allows for the gemstone or gemstone imitation to be interchangeable with considerably less effort than has traditionally been associated with setting and unsetting stones within metal settings. LEGEND FOR PART LABELS OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  1) Case (Screw)  2) House (Receptacle)  3) Screw Girdle Opening (Plane)  4) Screw Threading  5) Screw Head  6) House Face Opening (Plane)  7) House Face  8) House Threading  9) House Rear Opening (Plane) 10) Stone Crown 11) Stone Girdle 12) Stone Pavilion 13) Stone Culet 14) Stone Crown Angle 15) Stone Pavilion Angle 16) Stone Culet Angle 17) Screw Pavilion Housing 18) House Reverse (Crown) Countersink 19) Space For Light Source 20) Light Source 21) Heat Sink Void 22) Sectional Line of Case 23) Sectional Line of Case In House w/S

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to the field of ornamenting objects with natural and/or synthetic gemstones and/or gemstone imitations (referred to as stones). Traditionally, stones have been set in some form of metal by a variety of methods, from prong-setting, to bezel setting, to pave' setting, to channel setting, and so on. Prong setting has always been the most common, in most part because of the simplicity and versatility entailed. The second most common form has been bezel setting. The problem with the traditional method of bezel setting a stone is that it requires micro hammering the metal around the girdle (11) of the stone (see FIG. 5). This can be viewed as a destructive method because the metal has to be permanently altered from its original form to fit around the girdle of the stone (prongs can be opened and closed upon the crown of the stone (10) without damaging the prongs with the appropriate tool). Additionally, once a stone is set in a bezel, removing it is not a practical matter. Usually, removing a stone once it is bezel set involves destroying the metal bezel. If a stone is to be reset in the same bezel, the bezel has to be rebuilt, and a stone has to be hammered in once again. Also, even if the bezel is opened with minimal damage, there is a high risk of breaking the stone. There is also a high risk of breaking the stone when hammering the metal around the girdle to set it in the first place. Because of this, not all gemstones lend themselves to being bezel set. Softer stones like emeralds are not commonly bezel set because they can chip easily from the hammering process. Traditionally, prong setting has been more of a feminine style for stone setting, and bezels have been a unisex style. This drastically limits the pool of stones men can have in jewelry.

The initial use for the invention will be to ornament automobile wheels (also referred to as rims and wheels) with the aforementioned stones. The aftermarket automobile wheel industry has experienced exponential growth over the last decade plus. While that expansion has given rise to product innovation, most of that innovation has been with regard to only the aesthetic design of the wheels. Aside from the spinning rims, which are comprised of a separate piece of metal rotating on ball bearings while attached to the main wheel, all of the “innovation” has been with respect to the diameter (wheels up to 28″ in diameter are now available) and configuration/shape of the spokes of the wheel.

Additionally, the invention will be used in auto accessories such as radio knobs, shift handles, and other aesthetic trimmings throughout the interior and exterior of the car. The invention also lends itself to usage in clothing such as buttons for pants and shirts, trimmings for shoes, etc. It will also be used in knob trimmings for bathroom and kitchen fixtures. As mentioned above, the invention will be used in fashion and genuine jewelry as well.

Because wheels are so heavy and such an integral part of the utility of the car, once they are attached to the axles of the vehicle, they are not easily changeable, and are for the most part, permanent. This means that changing rims on a regular basis for the sake of changing the overall aesthetic look of the car is not practical. To change rims, a consumer would have to take his/her automobile to a facility where there is some kind of hydraulic lift to raise the automobile off the ground to remove the wheels from the axles and install a new set of rims. Additionally, new rims will more than likely require a new set of tires, unless the new rims are the exact dimensions as the old set of rims (tire width has to be taken into consideration) so a new set of (usually expensive) tires has to purchased and installed on the rims. Even if the new rims are the same dimensions as the old ones, the tires still have to be transferred from one set to the next, and would then have to be rotated and balanced again, etc. Most importantly, a “spare” set of rims is relatively expensive for the average car enthusiast. Ultimately, the point is that it is a tedious and expensive process to change rims on an automobile. The bottom line is changing rims on an automobile on a regular basis is not a practical idea.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a modular screw-like case (referred to as case) and an accompanying receptacle (referred to as house) for the respective screw. The screw component is threaded to the same threading specifications as the receptacle component so the screw case piece can be turned in to penetrate the receptacle house piece. This is different than a conventional nut and bolt in that the screw piece (bolt) is partially hollowed out on one end in a conical shape (17) (see FIG. 1) so it can support the pavilion of a gemstone/gemstone imitation. The receptacle piece (nut) is different than a conventional nut in that although it is open on both sides like a traditional nut, one opening is smaller than the other. Specifically, the smaller opening is approximately 1 mm less in diameter than the diameter of the gemstone/gemstone imitation set in the hollow cone-shaped space of the screw piece so that that when the case piece is turned into the house piece with a stone placed in the hollowed out portion of the case, the stone is flush against the case piece from behind, and flush against the inside of the smaller opening of the house piece from the front. Therefore, it has nowhere to go once the case piece is completely turned into the house piece. The stone is tight and flush as if it were set in by a jewelry setter from the top, but it is cleaner and frankly easier and safer than hammer setting the stone from the top as a jeweler would do.

Within the rim itself, the purpose of the case and house pieces will be for the cosmetic purpose of studding a wheel with gemstone/gemstone imitations for aesthetic enhancement of the wheel. The screw piece is an individual piece as illustrated in the Drawings. That screw would hold the gemstone/gemstone imitation as described in the Detailed Description of the Invention below. In the confines of the rim, the house piece would be the actual wheel itself. The wheel serves as multiple house pieces for many cases as there would be multiple threaded holes in the wheel from the back to the face of the wheel, and where the hole on the face would be 1 mm smaller than the stone that would sit in the case turned into that particular hole.

The other benefit of this mechanism is that the gemstone/gemstone imitation would be interchangeable to alter the complexion of the wheel without actually removing the rim from the axle of the car/truck. Many different colors are available in gemstone/gemstone imitations. They could be easily changed like the plastic colored bezels on some fashion watches. This is beyond anything the aftermarket automobile rims industry/market has ever seen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the case showing the hollowed out cone shaped space where the stone rests, and also the threading around the case.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the house showing the front face of the house along with the opening through where the stone protrudes, and also the internal threading (tapping) of the house, which corresponds to the threading of the case.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view (side) of the case showing the threading around the case and the notch in the base of the case, which fits a screwdriver to turn the case into the house, and also the side view of the opening where the stone rests.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the house.

FIG. 5A is an elevation view of the round brilliant stone showing the facets.

FIG. 5B is an elevation view of the round brilliant stone showing the angles.

FIG. 6A is plan view of the case showing a top view of the cone shaped space where the stone rests.

FIG. 6B is a plan view of the case with the stone resting in the cone shaped space.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the house showing the front face of the house along with the opening through where the stone protrudes.

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of the case with the stone resting in it.

FIG. 9 is an elevation sectional view of the case taken in a plane indicated by lines (22-22) of FIG. 6 with the stone resting in it showing the stone resting against the walls of the cone shaped space. The stone is in normal elevation view.

FIG. 10 is a perspective rear view of the case and house showing the case going into the rear of the house.

FIG. 11 is an elevation view of the case partially turned into the house.

FIG. 12 is an elevation view of the case completely turned into the house showing the crown of the stone protruding through the front face opening of the house.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the house with the case completely turned into the house with the crown of the stone protruding through the front face opening, and with the outer rim of the crown partially covered by the countersink of the front face opening as exhibited by the points of the upper main (kite shaped) facets of the stone i.e. where the facet touches the girdle, not showing because they are under the face of the house.

FIG. 14 is an elevation sectional view of the case completely turned into the house taken in a plane indicated by lines (23-23) of FIG. 13 showing the threading of the case locked against the threading (tapping) of the house, and the pavilion of the stone supported by the walls of the cone shaped space of the case, and the crown of the stone partially covered by and supported by the countersink of the opening in the front face of the house, and the rest of the crown protruding through the front face opening of the house.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the application of the invention in a wheel, showing the case with the stone, and a threaded (tapped) hole in the wheel itself (as opposed to a self-standing house), where the case has not yet been turned into the hole in the wheel (house). The lines indicate the path of the case into the hole. The broken lines indicate the parts of the path that cannot be seen from this view as the case moves towards the hole.

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 showing the case with the stone resting in it completely turned into the hole in the wheel and showing the crown of the stone protruding out the front face of the wheel.

FIG. 17A is a sectional view of a wheel with two spokes threaded (tapped) for multiple cases.

FIG. 17B is a partial view of FIG. 17A enlarged to show how a wheel spoke can serve as multiple houses for multiple cases. The various four-dot lines represent where the case enters the house from and the various three-dot lines represent where the crown of the stone protrudes out.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view similar to FIG. 17B showing the combination of the stone, case and house. The various three-dot lines and four-dot lines disappear as the case and stone penetrate the said lines.

FIG. 19 is similar to FIG. 18 showing all of the houses in the spokes of the wheel with cases turned completely into them.

FIG. 20 is an elevation sectional view of the case variation that has a light source within the case that will emit light into the stone through the culet.

FIG. 21 is an elevation sectional view of the case variation that has a cylinder shaped void in the bottom of the case where insulation material will be packed to serve as a heat sink.

FIG. 22A is a perspective rear view of the case showing the hole in the bottom of the case for the light source.

FIG. 22B is a perspective rear view of the case showing the hole in the bottom of the case that is the heat sink space where insulation material will be packed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a case (1) which is threaded (4) with a cone-shaped hollowed-out space of a particular base diameter, along with a house (2) for the mentioned case, which is tapped (8) to match the threading of the mentioned case. The house allows for the case to be screwed into it. The house has a hole at both ends. One end allows for the corresponding case to fit into it (9). The hole at the other end of the house (6) is 1-2 mm smaller than the base diameter of the cone, or in this case the girdle diameter of the stone (11), that would fit in the hollowed-out portion of the case (17). The stone rests in the cone shaped hollow space of the case (17). The stone's interaction with the case is such that the complete surface area of the stone's pavilion (12) is in contact with the case's hollowed out cone shaped space (17), from the stone's girdle (11) (which sits at the same plane level as the opening in the case (3)) to the stone's culet (13). The stone's culet angle (16) is similar in measurement (in terms of degrees) to the vertex angle of the hollowed out space (17) in the case. The stone's pavilion angle (15) is similar in measurement (in terms of degrees) to the base angle of the hollowed out space (17) in the case. And the stone's culet (13) fits into the vertex of the hollowed out space (17) in the case. Additionally, the front/face hole (6) of the house has a countersink with a conical angle (18) similar in measurement (in terms of degrees) to the crown angle of the stone (14) that fits in the corresponding case. When viewed from the face (front view, FIG. 13), the outer rim of the face of the stone (10) shows flush against the inside of the front face of the house (7), giving the appearance that the stone has been set into the house from the top/face, when it is actually pushed up from the bottom/inside.

As mentioned above, when incorporated into aftermarket automobile wheels, each wheel serves as the house for multiple cases. This is done by milling the wheel and threading the milled holes (8) to fit a particular case size. The spokes of the wheel are milled with holes that pass completely through the wheel. The aperture at the back of the wheel (9) would allow for the corresponding case to be screwed into the hole. The aperture where the hole comes through to the front (face) (6) of the wheel is 1-2 mm smaller in diameter than the base diameter of the cone (3) in the case, which would be at the face (front) (7) of the wheel spoke. Because the hole on the front of the wheel is smaller than the diameter of the opening in the case (3) and thus the diameter of the stone residing in the hollow space in the case (17), neither can be removed from the front (face) (7) side of the house {without destroying them, in which case, it does no one any good—in the event someone wants to steal the stone}. Once the case is screwed completely into the house, the stone is supported from the back/bottom (pavilion) (12) by the case, and supported from the front/top (crown) (10) by the house (side cross section view, FIG. 14), creating a situation where the stone can only be removed if the case is completely unscrewed from the house, and where, when the case is screwed completely into the house, the stone is tightly fitted into the total device.

The invention is different from the traditional nut and bolt device in that bolts pass all the way through nuts, and bolts do not house anything which is held in place from the back by the bolt, and from the front by the nut.

The composition material of the invention may be plastic, or another material (aluminum, metal alloy, etc.) depending on the context of the use. Also, the house may be of a different material than the case in some instances (the house may be aluminum as in an automobile wheel, and the cases may be hard plastics).

Casting and post-cast milling will be used for production of the invention. In the case of a separate, self-standing house, there will be a mold for the house that will be used for casting them. After casting, the house will be milled and threaded with different sized holes at opposite ends of the house with specifications as described above. The case for the stone will also have a mold that will be used to cast the case in a particular material composition. The mold for the case will have the threading already in the mold, so it won't have to be milled after casting.

In the case of aftermarket automobile wheels, the wheels will be milled as separate individual houses after casting of the wheels, as described above, to fit a particular designated case diameter size. The smaller hole (6) with a countersink with a conical angle (18) as described above, will be at the face side of the wheel. The case will be screwed into the wheel (as seen in FIGS. 15 and 18).

The method of screwing the case into the house will be with a flathead or some other custom screwdriver as the base of the house (5) will be grooved for such a tool, as exhibited in all of the cross sectional side views of (5) (see FIGS. 3, 8, 9 and 10). The case will be removed using a screwdriver as well.

Besides the original case and house mechanism are the modified two versions of the invention. First, the case has a cylinder (tube) shaped hollow space (19) from the center of the bottom of the case (5) to the vertex of the hollow cone shaped space in the case (17). In that space (19) is a light source (20) (see FIG. 20). The diameter of the hole is that of the width of the light source (LED, or other) up to 1 mm below where the vertex of the hollow cone shape space in the case (17) would be. Above that (from that point to the culet of the stone), the hole gets smaller in diameter to keep the light source from touching the culet of the stone (13) as illustrated in FIG. 20. The light from the light source will emanate through the opening in the vertex into the stone where it will be refracted and reflected throughout the stone and emit out the crown/face (10) of the stone.

The second variation of the case is also a cylinder shaped hollow space from the base of the case (5) upwards towards the culet (13). In this variation however, the hole does not extend as far as the vertex, as illustrated in FIG. 21. It is larger in diameter than the hole in the first variation of the case above. The diameter is approximately the same as the girdle diameter of the stone (11). The void (21) serves the purpose of a heat sink. It is a space to be filled with an insulation material. Both modifications are exclusively for the case portion. The house remains the same. This means that the same house can have any of the three versions of the case screwed into it (the original as well as the two modified versions). 

1. The threaded case and the threaded house mechanism where the threaded case can be rotated (screwed) into the threaded house and where the threaded case has a cone shaped hollow space, where a gemstone/gemstone imitation will rest on its pavilion, on one end and a screwdriver style slit at the other end, and where the threaded house has one opening which has a diameter the same measurement as the diameter of the corresponding threaded case and another opening which is 1-2 mm smaller in diameter than the base diameter of the cone-shaped hollow space in the corresponding threaded case and with a conical angle similar to the crown angle of the gemstone/gemstone imitation which will fit in the corresponding threaded case.
 2. Additionally, I make a dependent claim of a modified version of the case mentioned above where the bottom of the case has a hole that goes through to the vertex of the cone shaped hollow space where a light source will be placed which will emit light up through the opening in the said vertex. That light will be refracted and reflected by the stone and emanated out the crown of the stone.
 3. Additionally, I make the dependent claim of a modified version of the case mentioned above where the bottom of the case has a large cylinder shaped hollow space that will serve as a heat sink where an insulation material may be packed. 